


The Beginning

by BrokenRoses13



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Armin Arlert - Freeform, Erwin Smith - Freeform, F/F, Hanji Zoe - Freeform, M/M, Mentions of Mikasa Ackerman - Freeform, Minor Armin Arlert/Jean Kirstein, Minor Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss/Ymir, Minor Mikasa Ackerman/Sasha Blouse, moblit berner - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-09
Updated: 2015-11-09
Packaged: 2018-04-30 18:26:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5174528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrokenRoses13/pseuds/BrokenRoses13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Titans are finally destroyed, Eren Jaeger is executed. These are his thoughts the day of his death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: mildly graphic at the end because yeah he is going to die at the end, i'm not gonna disillusion you  
> Another warning: there are feelings but there are no actions on the Levi/Eren front so have fun with that and I'm sorry  
> Warning 3: Up to chapter 70-ish in the manga so yeah a few spoilers

Eren Jaeger paced in his cell. His eyes, a now-permanent shade of molten gold, flicked around the room in thought. He knew that he could leave this cell if he wished, as do the guards who didn't even glance his way as they watched the other prisoners. He was here of his own free will, the last Titan Shifter in existence heading to his execution by the end of the day. The Shifter was barely a man, had become twenty-one three days before, and was going to his death today. He knew that if Mikasa were not outside Wall Maria with the rest of her squad, she would've been here in Sina “rescuing” him. Armin was with Hanji and Moblit studying the new lifeforms they'd found outside. They didn't know of his decision to go along with the new government's plan to destroy every last Titan in existence.

Historia had asked him first, her own ability to Shift dooming her. She would never have children of her own so that the Reiss line would no longer exist and once she was gone the new government would take over. She had talked to Armin about it but he had suggested the last two Shifters live out their lives and die peacefully although Historia and Eren had both known they'd need to die for the world to be peaceful. Historia had been executed by the Sina Republic the day before and his death would be today at his own hand. He had been unwilling to put the guilt in another's hand, although Historia had wanted the world to continue on under the Sina Republic and had had the three people at the top of the Branched Government to cut her head off with an axe. 

After the death of the Ape Titan, all Titans except Titan Shifters had died. Reiner, Bertholt, an Ymir had died in the battle, while Historia and Eren had skated by with near-fatal injuries. It had taken years for the final battle to take place and then two more years of exploratory search to make certain that all the Titans were gone. (As well as a poke around inside the walls to make sure the Colossal Titans had been removed from its shell. Annie was still a hardened seed, kept well underground away from sunlight but if she ever emerged she would be executed as well. (Eren thought that she would gladly go if she knew there were no more Titans. He and Historia were.)

Eren and Historia had still never seen the ocean but they'd seen a mountain far away, only distinguishable against the skyline and both were happy enough with that. It meant the world was much larger than ever imagined and the people they'd saved could live in all that space.)

The only people who came to visit him were Hanji and Jean, Mikasa's squad leader, so he could tell them to keep Mikasa and Armin away, as well as the reast of their friends from the 104th, during his and Historia's execution. He didn't expect anyone else because the only person he was close to who wasn't dead other than those two and the remains of the 104th was Corporal Levi. Levi was the kind of person who watched someone's last moments with respect rather than despair, so Eren knew he wouldn't show except at the execution itself, even though they'd grown quite close over the years. He and Levi had spent many sleepless nights together under a mutual understanding of the insomnia they'd shared. They'd simply sat with tea and lanterns and talked about nothing and sometimes everything. During those times, Eren had seen the man beneath the Corporal's mask, and had begun to call him Levi at night. One day, Eren had realized he was attracted to Levi in more ways than just the physical, but he knew nothing would come of it. Even if Levi had felt a mutual attraction, they'd both given their minds, bodies, and souls for humanity's survival and had nothing left to give. 

(Maybe once the world had been fully discovered to be safe enough for humans, Levi would let himself feel for someone the way Eren felt for him. Eren hoped so; the man deserved some sort of happiness. Eren knew he himself would gain enough from the release of the grip Titan's held on humanity.)

 

One night, Levi had brought a paper and charcoal and told him to draw or something to keep their minds occupied when they weren't talking. Levi wrote on his, slow and painstakingly, after all, he'd only learnt to read at the age of around twenty and writing had taken him nearly another year to master. (Levi was somewhere near late thirties or early forties. He had told Eren he'd never really counted until he'd realized he had no idea what his age was.) Eren had started to draw. He had been eighteen at the time and by now he was okay-ish at it. Many times he'd drawn Levi in the low lamp light and was sure Levi knew.

But he had nothing to draw with in his cell and the execution was at sundown. In other words, he was bored and had nothing to do except think.

The cell itself was a formality that had to do with the way the Sina Republic wished to be run and that Eren and Historia had both agreed to. (Eren honestly didn't understand how any of this worked, he'd just agreed to remove the final Titans for the better of humanity, so he'd let Historia take care of all that political shit.) The day before the executions, they were put in cells next to each other, then they waited for their deaths. Historia, first, as she was the queen, and Eren, second, because he'd been the first known Titan Shifter and the Shifter who contained the great king's memory. 

He looked over at the empty bars next to his cell and felt an odd hollowness at the loss of Historia. She had been a friend and confidante when he couldn't tell others things that pertained to himself and the Titan. He didn't feel particularly sad that she was gone, he just felt as though there was now something missing from his life. Good thing his life wasn't going to last much longer. 

One of the guards shifted from one foot to the other and then said something to someone outside the prison doors.

“Yes, you can see him.” 

Eren's ears (now pointed after they'd been removed by a too zealous greenhorn who'd tried to take him out of his Titan form) perked up at the words and he turned. There were three other prisoners, all men, and he was certain they hadn't come for him but at least they'd be a distraction, whoever they were.

Corporal Levi walked into the room and straight up to his cell. 

“Oh,” he said in surprise.

“Nice to see you, Eren.”

“Nice to see you, too, Corporal.” Levi glared at him at the use of his title and he realized that this would probably be the last time he talked to Levi.

“Levi, why'd you come?”

Levi's glare intensified, “You saying I can't come see you before you die?” 

Eren's unsurprised by Levi's bluntness, and laughs, “No, I just didn't expect it.”

“Oh, well, here I am,” he says it like he's saying, look your fill before you die.

 

Maybe Levi knows of Eren's attraction to him.

 

“I see that.”

They stand in silence for a moment, just staring at each other. Eren realizes that maybe Levi could be attracted to him, too, if the heat in his gaze is any indication. 

 

Maybe Eren missed out on something that could've been great, but at least there won't be any messy emotions getting in the way of his death (as Levi would say). 

 

“Could you watch after them for me?” Eren doesn't specify who them is but he knows that Levi will understand that it's Mikasa and Armin he wants to be kept safe. It also has the added bonus of making sure Levi stays alive. 

(Even though Levi hadn't killed anything in over two years, the knowing that the Titans he'd killed had been human had anguished him. Eren had become Levi's second when he'd gained the 104th trainees as his squad and had remained there for the rest of his life, and he'd watched over Levi to make sure nothing happened, which had the added benefit of making sure Eren didn't become utterly broken. He sort of thought his own execution was a little like running away in that he wouldn't have to deal with any more of the consequences of his own actions after it.)

“You know I will,” Levi's voice was gruffer than usual, his voice almost cracking at the end of his sentence.

“Thank you, Levi.” His own voice cracked in response to Levi's and he suddenly wanted the last word on his tongue to be Levi even if it was a stupidly romantic notion. 

They once again stared at each other for long moments, the sun reaching the edge of the window beside the guards before Levi finally shifted on his feet and turned to leave.

“Goodbye, Eren.” His voice actually cracked this time and he wasn't fast enough turning to hide the sudden tears. 

“Goodbye, Levi.” Eren's own voice was calm and still. He had what he wanted – his last word was Levi now.

He suddenly felt the time left until his execution was too small as he imagined what life would've been like if he continued to live. He would've seen the ocean with Mikasa, Armin, and Levi. (He tried to imagine the ocean but he couldn't figure out what colour it would be. Armin's book had said it was both blue and green but how could that be possible?) 

He would've been at Sasha and Mikasa's housewarming. (Mikasa could deny it all she wanted but he'd seen the way she looked at Sasha like she carried the sun on her shoulders.) 

He could've seen Armin's hair grow even longer and his children, if he ever had any. (Eren felt a twinge of denial as, in his head, Armin stared longingly at Jean when he'd smiled the week before.) 

 

He would've lived in a house of his own for once and maybe, possibly invited Levi along. 

 

That was too bad now, though. He let the unknown future play around for a while inside his head, before he saw the sun start to sink beneath the horizon. A new guard came along and unlocked his cell. He followed the guard silently to the main court room where Historia's blood had spilled the day before. 

(He felt a small twinge of regret as he imagined Ymir and Historia together in his alternate future, before he shut it down.)

The court room was large and full of all the military officials (except Mikasa's squad, which contained most of the 104th and was lead by Jean, and Armin, Hanji, and Moblit) and the new republic's officials. After today, all this new world's battles would be fought by humans at a human level. He was handed a sword unlike the ones he was used to, and he settled it over the back of his neck as he kneeled before the people of Sina. Most humans would have a hard time cutting into their own neck, but Eren and Shifters like him were a different story. Humans had a sort of self preservation that kept them from hurting themselves (Eren was reminded of Petra, Auruo, Eld, and Gunther as they'd bitten into their hands, not even drawing blood, while Eren had practically bitten through his own thumb) which Shifters didn't have.

Neither of the executions were public as the Republic felt that would be demeaning to Historia and Eren, but there were still so many of Sina's people who were part of the Republic and military that he felt he was kneeling before all of humanity being judged. Levi stood in the far right corner, looking slightly disgusted (most likely at the thought of the blood that would need to be cleaned off the marble), and next to him Erwin Smith gave Eren a reassuring nod. When Levi saw him looking, his face turned serious and he nodded, as well.

One of the Republic's leaders stepped forward and asked, as more of a formality than anything, “Any last words?”

Levi had been his last word and he'd said it hours ago so he shook his head.  
The woman looked slightly uncomfortable, but she lifted her hand and brought it down, the signal for the execution. Eren gave a grim smile before pulling with both hands as he felt his skin begin to tear under the blade. He felt the blood seep down his neck and the rip of the muscles and nerves in his neck all the way to the nerves. 

 

Then he felt nothing.

**Author's Note:**

> Levi was writing the history of the war against Titans as he knew it, from both the Underground perspective and the Scouting Legion's.  
> Also this story is not the greatest, I seriously don't think I'll do anything else with it. I'm just sort of tired of the amount of non-angsty fics in such a terrible broken world like the one they live in. I basically live off of angst so I have a hard time seeing all the fluff tho I like it sometimes. Also I like the idea of the Titans being destroyed and then the people killing Eren and the Shifters because they're not human. It's such a human thing to do.  
> I wrote the imagining stuff part while listening to let it go by blue october which is really good and also made me cry (a little). So if you want go listen to it, its amazing.  
> I'm also sort of thinking of a way far in the future AU set in this universe with actual even/levi maybe?


End file.
